Burn the Ships: What It Means to Move Forward with God
In 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of the New World with a small army and an impossible mission. He was vastly outnumbered. His men were afraid. And the temptation to retreat was real.
So Cortés did something that changed the course of history. He ordered his men to burn the ships.
Every single one of them.
There would be no sailing home. No plan B. No escape route. The only direction left was forward. And because there was no going back, his men found the courage to press on — and they conquered an empire.
Now, here’s why that story matters to you and me.
We, too, are on a mission. We are marching as Christians through a land that is not always friendly to our faith. And every single day, we face the same temptation those soldiers did. The temptation to turn around and go back to what feels safe.
The children of Israel knew that temptation well. After miraculously leaving Egypt, they were headed to the Promised Land. The place God had sworn to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had heard about this place for generations. It was finally becoming a reality.
But then their faith faltered.
While Moses was on the mountain talking with God, the people made a golden calf and started talking about going back to Egypt. Back to slavery. Back to the very place God had just delivered them from.
Why? Because it’s always easier to stay where we are than to go through the hard places God is calling us to walk through.
But friend, God doesn’t call us backward. He calls us forward.
To grow in our walk with the Lord, we have to endure some things — struggles, trials, seasons that require patience and perseverance. Think about it: how strong would our faith be if God allowed us to go through life without a single obstacle?
When trials come, we have to see them for what they really are: God’s refining process. He knows exactly what He is doing. He knows exactly what we need to strengthen our trust in Him. There is always a bigger picture, even when it doesn’t make a lick of sense to us in the moment.
And in those difficult days, we must hold on to this: trials come to everyone. God still loves us. He is still for us. And He is still with us — right through the fire.
So burn the ships today. Mark the day. Set a course to move forward with God and don’t look back.
That is what the Christian life is all about — pressing forward. Jesus put it plainly in Luke 9:62:
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (NIV)
And Paul echoed it when he wrote:
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:13–14 (NIV)
Are you ready for what’s ahead? Whatever is behind you — the failures, the regrets, the comfortable places that kept you from growing — let it burn. Heaven awaits, and the best is yet to come.
Keep Looking Up!
Heaven is closer than you think.
May God bless your day.
Related devotionals: Eisenhower’s D-Day faith · When you feel stuck · Making the right choice
Want more from Pastor Rodney?
If today’s devotional spoke to your heart, my books carry these same themes deeper. Stories of God moving in ordinary lives, scripture for tired pastors and weary parents, and steady reminders that heaven is closer than you think.